The United States Customs and Border Protection agent shot dead by an alleged illegal immigrant in Vermont near the Canadian border has since been identified as 44-year-old David Maland.
One suspect was killed during the interaction, while another who fled the scene is now in custody.
According to NBC5, the incident took place on Monday afternoon along Interstate 91 near the town of Orleans. Maland had been conducting a traffic stop when he was shot by an illegal immigrant who had allegedly overstayed his visa.
Few additional details are known at this time, though the Federal Bureau of Investigation has vowed to get to the bottom of things "swiftly."
In the hours since his death, tributes to Maland have poured in from across the country.
"Vermont and the US Border Patrol experienced a tragic loss when a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Swanton Sector was shot and killed near Coventry, Vermont," Sens. Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, and Rep. Becca Balint wrote in a joint statement. "Our deepest condolences go out to the agent's family, and to the Border Patrol. We will continue to monitor this situation with federal and state authorities and are appreciative of the first responders and emergency medical service providers who responded to the scene."
The trio noted that CBP agents "do important work protecting our borders" and "deserve our full support in terms of staffing, pay and working conditions."
"We look forward to working with the agency to make sure that they have all the resources they need to do the enormously important work that is their responsibility," they said. "Together, we must do everything possible to prevent future tragedies like what happened today."
Maland began his decade-long career in the service in Texas before transferring up to Vermont. In a post on Facebook, one of his former colleagues called him "one of the best men I knew."